Where have you guys been to..? Just got me curious!
BATMANs/SWIFTVISION and others are not wrong. This question should be addressed to you.
I worked in SG and Malaysia for 2+ years recently and as a Chinese-American, it was a culture shock. SG on the surface is very westernized and up-to-date but once you turn the 1st page, everything else is very ancient, old Chinese thinking.
I walked behind girls off the bus late at nite and they never looked back scared. That is because Sr. PM LKY has such a strong hold on everything there and his party of PAP(People Action Party) is 90% vs the opposition WP(Workers Party) and its against the law NOT to vote. I don't call that a Republic gov.
I did not know the meaning of free speech until I was there. LKY pointed his son to be the PM now....how sweet. His son is not as shrew as the old man but the system allows him to have full control of everything.
SG wants real foreign talent for a long time but the Muslim population is turning out too many kids vs the Chinese so SG started importing people from China even running restaurants and 2nd tier national teams from China so they can become instant citizens to represent SG. Most local kids are so over-burdened with school work and passing tests, have little time to play sports. The children suicide rate is also not published but when I was there, there were 4 such case.
SG let this businessman in cuz he is rich and I personally saw a blue lambo at a food court late at nite with a douche(local means Ah Beng) and his hot, 5'6" asian GF. There is no place to drive in the whole country with any car. there are cameras everywhere. Even if you go to Sepang F1 track, its easy to get pull over from the Malay police since you have a SG plate=$$. Unless you are one of those Sultans driving a red BMW with NO speed limit.
I can go on and on with many more examples but whats the point, its asia. You can only be what others allow you to be IF you graduate from a good school with an education that is based on learning by rote. that is the way it is and I've never been to Brunei but if you a Malay descent, you are privileged and don't have to do anything in life. If you are Chinese descent, you have to work very hard and still not able to get ahead.
We have our share of big problems here in the US but I kissed the ground at LAX after I came home. SG/asia is good only for visit and not to stay. At least SG is relative clean.